Common Questions

What is FAR 52.240-1?

A Federal Acquisition Regulation clause effective 13 March 2026 that bans drones from ASDA-covered foreign manufacturers in all US federal contracts.Source: Acquisition.gov

FAR 52.240-1 drone ban federal contracts?

Every federal contractor must certify that no ASDA-covered drone components enter their supply chain. DJI and Autel Robotics are the primary targets.Source: Acquisition.gov

American Security Drone Act procurement rule?

ASDA identified foreign drone manufacturers as security risks. FAR 52.240-1 enforces this by requiring contractor compliance certification for all federal purchases.Source: US Congress

Background

FAR 52.240-1 is a clause added to the Federal Acquisition Regulation on 13 March 2026 that prohibits unmanned aerial systems manufactured or assembled by American Security Drone Act (ASDA) covered foreign entities from any US federal contract. Every contractor must now certify compliance.

The clause converts the FCC's December 2025 Covered List decision into a binding procurement rule. Where the Covered List blocked new product certifications, FAR 52.240-1 reaches into supply chains: federal contractors using DJI or Autel Robotics components in any system, not just standalone drones, must now exclude them or lose contract eligibility.

For manufacturers still sourcing Chinese parts (38% of Ukrainian drones and an unknown share of US integrators), the clause creates an immediate compliance burden. Combined with a potential Section 232 tariff on UAS imports, FAR 52.240-1 is one blade of a regulatory scissors closing on Chinese drone suppliers faster than domestic alternatives can scale.